2012 World Football Challenge

The 2012 World Football Challenge was the third (and the final) World Football Challenge event, a series of friendly soccer matches played in Canada and the United States in July and August. The series opened on July 18.[1] The opening match was between the Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer (MLS) and Chelsea of the English Premier League, which Chelsea won 4–2.[2] Real Madrid, who had won the equivalent tournament the previous year, were the only team to win all their matches in normal play.

2012 World Football Challenge
Tournament details
CountryCanada
United States
Venue(s)8 (in 8 host cities)
Teams11 (from 2 confederations)
Final positions
ChampionsSpain Real Madrid
Runners-upn/a
Tournament statistics
Matches played9
Goals scored30 (3.33 per match)
Attendance304,285 (33,809 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Spain José Callejón
(3 goals)
← 2011

Participants

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The following eleven clubs took part in the 2012 World Football Challenge.

Nation Team Location Confederation Professional League Notes
  Scotland Celtic Glasgow UEFA Scottish Premier League 2011–12 Scottish Premier League champions
  England Chelsea London UEFA Premier League 2012 FA Cup and 2011–12 UEFA Champions League winners
  United States D.C. United Washington, D.C. CONCACAF Major League Soccer 4-time MLS Cup Champions
  England Liverpool Liverpool UEFA Premier League 2012 Football League Cup winners
  United States Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles CONCACAF Major League Soccer 2011 MLS Cup champions
  Italy Milan Milan UEFA Serie A 18-time Serie A champions
  France Paris Saint-Germain Paris UEFA Ligue 1 Ligue 1 runners-up
  Spain Real Madrid Madrid UEFA La Liga 2011–12 La Liga champions
  Mexico Santos Laguna Torreón CONCACAF Primera División 2011–12 Mexican Primera División Clausura champions
  United States Seattle Sounders FC Seattle CONCACAF Major League Soccer 2011 U.S. Open Cup winners
  Canada Toronto FC Toronto CONCACAF Major League Soccer 2012 Canadian Championship champions

Venues

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Eight venues were selected for the 2012 World Football Challenge.

  Canada

Toronto, Ontario
Location of the host cities of the 2012 World Football Challenge in Canada.
Rogers Centre
Capacity: 49,808
 


  United States

Carson, California Miami Gardens, Florida Whitney, Nevada New York, New York
The Home Depot Center Sun Life Stadium Sam Boyd Stadium Yankee Stadium
Capacity: 27,000 Capacity: 74,918 Capacity: 36,800 Capacity: 52,325
       
Location of the host cities of the 2012 World Football Challenge in the United States.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Seattle, Washington Washington, D.C.
Lincoln Financial Field CenturyLink Field RFK Stadium
Capacity: 67,594 Capacity: 67,000 Capacity: 56,692
     

Matches

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All times are in the EDT time zone (UTC-4) (Local Times in parentheses).[3]
Seattle Sounders FC  2–4  Chelsea
Montero   14', 32' Report Lukaku   3', 44'
Hazard   11'
Marin   40'

Toronto FC  1–1  Liverpool
Amarikwa   58' Report Morgan   69'
Attendance: 33,087
Referee: Paul Ward (Vancouver)

Chelsea  1–1  Paris Saint-Germain
Piazon   82' Report Nenê   30'
Attendance: 38,202
Referee: Edvin Jurisevic (Nebraska)

Chelsea  0–1  Milan
Report Emanuelson   68'

D.C. United  1–1  Paris Saint-Germain
De Rosario   33' (pen.) Report Ibrahimović   3'
Attendance: 13,176
Referee: John McCloskey (Delaware)

Los Angeles Galaxy  1–5  Real Madrid
Lopes   23' Report Higuaín   2'
Di María   11'
Callejón   36'
Morata   49'
Jesé   84'
Attendance: 30,317
Referee: Ricardo Salazar (California)

Real Madrid  2–1  Santos Laguna
Alonso   14'
Khedira   72'
Report Suárez   25'
Attendance: 29,152
Referee: Baldomero Toledo (California)

Real Madrid  5–1  Milan
Di María   24'
Ronaldo   49', 66'
Ramos   81'
Callejón   89'
Report Robinho   33'
Attendance: 49,474
Referee: Jair Marrufo (Texas)

Real Madrid  2–0  Celtic
Callejón   22'
Benzema   67'
Report
Attendance: 34,018
Referee: Sorin Stoica

Results

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Team Pld W D L GF GA
  Celtic 1 0 0 1 0 2
  Chelsea 3 1 1 1 5 4
  D.C. United 1 0 1 0 1 1
  Liverpool 1 0 1 0 1 1
  Los Angeles Galaxy 1 0 0 1 1 5
  Milan 2 1 0 1 2 5
  Paris Saint-Germain 2 0 2 0 2 2
  Real Madrid 4 4 0 0 14 3
  Santos Laguna 1 0 0 1 1 2
  Seattle Sounders FC 1 0 0 1 2 4
  Toronto FC 1 0 1 0 1 1

Top goalscorers

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As of August 11, 2012.
Rank Name Team Goals
1   José Callejón Real Madrid 3
2   Romelu Lukaku Chelsea 2
  Ángel Di María Real Madrid 2
  Fredy Montero Seattle Sounders FC 2
  Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid 2
6   Xabi Alonso Real Madrid 1
  Quincy Amarikwa Toronto FC 1
  Karim Benzema Real Madrid 1
  Urby Emanuelson Milan 1
  Eden Hazard Chelsea 1
  Gonzalo Higuaín Real Madrid 1
  Zlatan Ibrahimović Paris Saint-Germain 1
  Jesé Real Madrid 1
  Sami Khedira Real Madrid 1
  David Lopes Los Angeles Galaxy 1
  Marko Marin Chelsea 1
  Álvaro Morata Real Madrid 1
  Adam Morgan Liverpool 1
  Nenê Paris Saint-Germain 1
  Lucas Piazon Chelsea 1
  Sergio Ramos Real Madrid 1
  Robinho Milan 1
  Dwayne De Rosario D.C. United 1
  Christian Suárez Santos Laguna 1

References

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  1. ^ Borg, Simon (April 24, 2012). "WFC: 2012 World Football Challenge kicks off July 18". MLS. MLSSoccer.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  2. ^ Borg, Simon. "WFC: Sounders to host English giants Chelsea on July 18". MLS. MLSSoccer.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  3. ^ "World Football Challenge Schedule". MLS. Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
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